Raised
by an old fortune-teller within the dark veil of the Bavarian Black
Forest, Rune has learned two valuable lessons: only take from the forest
that which you can use, and never, never look anyone in the eye in the
village. For something terrible happened in the forest long ago... and
now, the whispers of a long-dead mother with a vengeful secret have come
haunting.

Forced to flee all she has ever known, Rune
soon learns of a legacy she is bound to--one that is drenched in fear,
witchcraft and murder--a birthright that stretches beyond the grave to
the trees where Rune is no longer safe.

ALICIA: 1.)
Before we get started, can you share with us a little bit about your
upcoming release the FOREST OF WHISPERS, for readers who may be
unfamiliar with it? JENNIFER:Of course! FOREST OF WHISPERS is a
17th century Bavarian witch mystery. Rune has been raised in the Black
Forest and kept hidden from a secret that has begun to slowly unravel:
her mother was burned at the stake sixteen years prior for witchcraft
and a murderous crime and now, Rune begins to hear her mother’s whispers
from beyond the grave. It sheds light on such a dark time in European
history.

ALICIA: 2.) How was the idea for the FOREST OF
WHISPERS created, and did it turn out to be what you planned on, or did
it change a lot from your initial idea? JENNIFER:I’ve always
been intrigued by witch tales, in fact, rumor has it that my great,
great grandmother was a witch, and I’ve always romanticized over it. My
mother is very much interested in ancestry and family trees, so when she
traced our family back to Pre-Germania, I couldn’t help the images of
rustic villages and Black Forest legends from creeping into my head. The
idea evolved to that of a young girl living in what is believed to be a
haunted forest and whose deceased mother seeks her from the edges of
death to prove her innocence for a crime she may not have committed. I
pitched it to my agent during a Facebook chat. It was insta-love, and
she encouraged me to write it. And yes, it dovetailed my initial idea. ALICIA: 3.) I'm intrigued by the forest's role in this
book. Can you tell us how deep that plays into this novel, and what can
we expect from that aspect of the book? JENNIFER:I’m so glad
you asked this question! The Black Forest is quite an enigma. Its
enormous acreage is home to urban legend upon urban legend. They say
banshees and witches dwell within it and, to this day, some truly fear
certain areas of the forest. I loved toying with the idea that the
forest could be a protective fortress for someone accused of something
so frightening.

ALICIA: 4.) What was the hardest and best part of writing this novel and why?

JENNIFER:I truly enjoyed trying to nail the authenticity of the time and
creating a world that was a mix of history and fiction. I spent hours
researching and becoming completely obsessive over what grew in the
forest, what was edible, what wasn’t, and how it could be used in
spell-craft—to digging into the accusations, the prisons and torture
instruments many were victim to. The sheer number of executions during
the inquisitions of the late 1600’s is mind-numbing. Nothing could save
you. If you lied, if you confessed, if you defended yourself . . . it
was most often futile, so with that said, I have to say the hardest part
of writing the story was allowing the devastation of the time to truly
sink in. So many people turned on one another out of fear and it was
completely hysterical and ridiculous that what could easily be
explained, like poverty, famine, plague, was blamed on an innocent
person who was then persecuted.

ALICIA: 4.) Can you tell us five random things about you? JENNIFER:~ My favorite color is brown.

~ I have a strange obsession with staircases and skeleton keys.

~ I co-founded and coordinate a book festival called YA FEST.

~ I prefer cats over dogs. ~ Halloween is my favorite holiday.

ALICIA: 5.) Can you tell us a little bit about our main character, Rune, and what we can expect from her?

JENNIFER:Rune
is quiet and cautious, only because she was raised believing she
couldn’t trust anyone from the nearby village. She and Matilde, the
woman who raised her, are often snubbed because they’ve chosen to live
in the forest away from everyone, and because of Matilde’s questionable
profession—she reads fortunes, tends to the sick, midwifery . . . But
there’s a willful nature to Rune and this side of her comes in handy
when her entire world is turned upside down and she must rely on her
wits to survive a witch hunt.

ALICIA: 6.) If you could describe the FOREST OF WHISPERS in 10 words, what would they be? JENNIFER:Teen girl is the target of a 1600’s witch craze.

ALICIA: Jennifer, it's been a blast having you here today! I can't WAIT to read FOREST OF WHISPERS!!

JENNIFER:Thank you so much! I LOVED your questions and hope you enjoy FOREST OF WHISPERS! ~ Jennifer

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Addicted Readers receives ARC's (Advanced Reader Copies) from authors and publishers in exchange for an honest review. No compensation of any kind is exchanged. And every opinion express is my own and is not influenced in any way.